GERMANY

Summary
Country Report on the Vocational Education and
Training system, REFERNET Cedefop

and

Summary report on Vocational Education and

Training (VET) for learners with Special
Educational Needs (SEN)

European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education

CONTENTS
1 VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEM .................................................4

1.1 Diagram of the education and training system ...............................................................4

1.2 Definitions ......................................................................................................................5

1.3 Objectives and priorities of the national policy development areas of VET ....................5

1.4 Institutional and legislative framework for IVET .............................................................6

1.5 Types of teacher and trainer occupations in VET ..........................................................6

1.6 Systems and mechanisms for the anticipation of skill needs .........................................7

1.7 Practices to match VET provision with skill needs .........................................................7

1.8 Guidance and counselling for learning, career and employment ...................................7

1.9 Funding for initial vocational education and training ......................................................7

1.10 References ..................................................................................................................8

2. VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (VET) FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL
EDUCATIONAL NEEDS .....................................................................................................9

2.1 Population .....................................................................................................................9

2.2 Organisation and Provision of Vet programmes ............................................................9

2.2.1 IVET system options for SEN learners: lower and upper secondary levels,
apprenticeship training and other youth programmes. .....................................................9
2.2.2 Different types of educational/VET settings...........................................................10
2.2.3 The curricula of VET programmes, the assessment procedures, types of
qualifications and assessment criteria (e.g. flexibility on curricula composition and
individual adaptations, diploma etc.) ..............................................................................11

2.3 VET programmes and employment .............................................................................11

2.3.1 Strategies and practices used to match the local labour market needs with the
skills acquired by learners in the course of the VET programmes ..................................11

2.4 Data (relating to learners with SEN aged between 14 and 25 years old and enrolled in
VET programmes in the academic year 2010/2011 and relating to their transition to
employment) ......................................................................................................................12
2.4.1 Data on the number of learners with SEN aged between 14 and 25 years old who
are enrolled in VET programmes, at national and/or local level. ....................................12
2.4.2 Data on how many of these learners are enrolled in mainstream VET programmes,
how many are enrolled in special units within mainstream VET settings and how many
are enrolled in special VET programmes. ......................................................................12
2.4.3 Data on the number and percentage of learners with SEN aged between 14 and
25 who are enrolled in VET programmes, in comparison with the number and
percentage of the general youth population of the same age enrolled in VET
programmes, at national and/or local level .....................................................................12

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 2.4.4 Brief definition and explanation of “drop out”. Data concerning the drop out rate of
learners with SEN aged between 14 and 25 who are enrolled in VET programmes, in
comparison with the drop out rate of the general youth population, at national and/or
local level. ......................................................................................................................12
2.4.5 Data on the transition rate of learners with SEN from VET to employment in
comparison with the transition rate of the general youth population from VET to
employment at national and/or local level ......................................................................12

2.5 Legislation and policy...................................................................................................12

2.5.1 Brief description of existing legislation...................................................................12
2.5.2 Main objectives and priorities of the national/regional policy relating to VET for
learners with SEN and the transition from VET to employment......................................13
2.5.3 Roles and responsibilities within the institutional framework .................................13
2.5.4 The actors involved in improving standards and evaluating the VET programmes
on offer for learners with SEN, relating to the job market ...............................................14

2.6 VET teachers, trainers and other professionals ...........................................................14

2.6.1 Information on the VET staff (teachers, trainers, career counsellors, transition
officers, etc.)...................................................................................................................14
2.6.2 Information on the careers/employment guidance and counselling services offered
to learners with SEN who are enrolled in VET programmes ..........................................15

2.7 Funding ........................................................................................................................15

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 1 VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEM

1.1 Diagram of the education and training system

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1.2 Definitions
Pre-Vocational or Pre-Technical Education (Berufsausbildungsvorbereitung)
Education which is mainly designed to introduce participants to the world of work and to
prepare them for entry into vocational or technical education programmes. Successful
completion of such programmes does not yet lead to a labour-market relevant vocational
or technical qualification. For a programme to be considered as pre-vocational or
pretechnical education, at least 25 per cent of its content has to be vocational or technical.
Vocational and Technical Education (Berufsbildung)
Education which is mainly designed to lead participants to acquire the practical skills,
know-how and understanding necessary for employment in a particular occupation or
trade or class of occupations or trades Successful completion of such programmes leads
to a labour-market relevant vocational qualification recognized by the competent
authorities in the country in which it is obtained.
Initial Vocational Education and Training (IVET) (Berufsausbildung)
Initial vocational education and training (IVET) is defined as training undertaken typically
after full-time compulsory education to promote the acquisition of the necessary
knowledge, skills and competences for entry to an occupation or group of occupation. It
can be undertaken purely within a school-based and/or workbased environment. It
includes apprenticeship training.
School-Based Programmes (Vollzeitschulische Berufsbildung)
In school-based programmes instruction takes place (either partly or exclusively) in
educational institutions. These include special training centres for vocational education run
by public or private authorities or enterprise-based special training centres if these qualify
as educational institutions. These programmes can have an on-the-job training
component, i.e. a component of some practical experience at the workplace.
Alternance Training - Alternierende Ausbildung
Training carried out at two places of learning, i.e. at upper secondary education
establishments (Berufsschulen) or institutions at tertiary level (Berufsakademien,
Fachhochschulen) and in companies. Trainees either attend the two places of learning
alternately or simultaneously.

1.3 Objectives and priorities of the national policy development areas of VET
Training under the dual system is a key element of innovative strength, competitiveness
and social cohesion. The dual system is the largest provider of education at upper
secondary level. In 2008, 64,7% of the school-leavers from general education opted for a
dual-system apprenticeship. Its relevance to practical work and its closeness to the labour
market enable high transfer rates from vocational training to working life and thus ensure
that the economy's demand for qualified workers is met. In order to tackle future
challenges and to improve the VET system's structure and transition opportunities, the
Federal Minister of Education and Research appointed two task forces, the “Innovation
Circle on Vocational Education” (Innovationskreis Berufliche Bildung - IKBB) and the
“Innovation Circle on Continuing Education and Training” (Innovationskreis Weiterbildung -
IKWB), in spring 2006 to lay foundations for new structures in IVET and CVET.

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1.4 Institutional and legislative framework for IVET
Role of central government Within the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of
Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung - BMBF) is
responsible for policy, coordination and legislation for: out-of-school vocational training
and continuing education; training assistance; the general principles of the higher
education system; as well as the expansion and construction of institutions of higher
education. The Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (Bundesministerium für
Wirtschaft und Technologie - BMWi) or the otherwise competent ministry may publicly
recognise training occupations via statutory instrument and may issue training regulations
for training occupations by agreement with the BMBF.
Role of regional/local government The Constitution (Grundgesetz) provides that
competence for school education lies with the Länder Ministries of Education and Cultural
Affairs.
Role of social partners The main feature of the German VET system is the close
partnership between employers, trade unions and the government. Social dialogue and
codetermination are important for the acceptance of reforms
Policies Initial training in enterprises is regulated by a series of federal Laws and
regulations. The most significant framework conditions are the free choice and practice of
an occupation, as provided for in the Constitution (Grundgesetz: Article 12 (1)) and
Federal Government competence for legislation for out-of-school vocational training
(Article 72 (1), (2) and Article 74 (1)). Länder legislation forms the legal basis for school
education, including vocational schools and the few private schools. Article 7 (1) in
conjunction with Article 30 and Articles 70 to 75 of the Constitution confers legislative
competence in these areas on the Länder.

1.5 Types of teacher and trainer occupations in VET

Teachers at vocational schools are responsible for the theoretical part of vocational
training. They teach part-time courses in their subject fields and assess student
(apprentice) performance. Experienced teachers may be promoted to become Fachleiter
(senior teachers) in their subjects where they can also take part in school management
and develop the curriculum within the boundaries provided by the Länder authorities. IVET
teachers can be divided into two groups:
1. Teachers for classes in vocational schools/vocational schoolteachers (teachers
giving theory and general job-related lessons): These teachers provide young people with
the necessary subject-specific theoretical knowledge and with in-depth and extended
general education in the context of their future occupation. They teach both vocational
subjects (e.g. metalworking techniques, electrical engineering, home economics,
healthcare) and general subjects (e.g. German, English, mathematics, politics, physics).
2. Teachers teaching vocational practice (practical skills teachers (Werklehrer or
Fachlehrer in some Länder) e.g. in school workshops, builder's training yards, business
training offices, school kitchens, laboratories, demonstration workshops):
Their task is to provide young people undergoing in-company training with subject specific
practical teaching. They teach in industrial/technical and home economics schools and, in
some Länder, also in business schools. In vocational schools (industrial/technical
schools), state-examined technicians or certified masters are used to teach vocational
practice. In home economics schools, specialised teachers teach home economics and
crafts. In business schools, specialised teachers are trained to teach word processing and
office management

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3. IVET trainers
In Germany, the designation ‘trainer’ is used in association with in-company training as an
umbrella term. Trainers instruct trainees as their main or secondary job. In small or
medium-sized enterprises with few trainees, training is often the trainer’s secondary job.

1.6 Systems and mechanisms for the anticipation of skill needs

The research network “Early Identification of Skills Needs in the Network” (FreQueNz). It
includes several research institutions, an education organisation, the Federal Institute for
Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), the German Confederation of Trade Unions
(DGB) and the German Employers’ Organisation for Vocational Training (KWB). The aim
of FreQueNz is the timely identification of future skills needs and their evaluation in
respect of their impact on VET. The emphasis is on recording changes in the market to
enable a more rapid reaction to occupational skills trends. The task is to use these
requirements to derive or develop models for future skills and occupational profiles.

1.7 Practices to match VET provision with skill needs

Close cooperation between the social partners (employers’ organisations, trade unions
and employee’s organisations) and the government is more or less a core element of the
German VET system. Social dialogue and co-determination are vitally important means of
ensuring the acceptance of reforms in the VET sector. As a rule, the initiative for updating
the occupational profile of a training occupation or for developing an entirely new
occupation comes from trade associations, employers‘ associations, trade unions or the
Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB).

1.8 Guidance and counselling for learning, career and employment

Guidance and counselling provision in Germany is embedded both in the overall
employment strategy as well as in the educational sector and the lifelong learning strategy.
Guidance and counselling services in the educational sector mainly focuses on career
education in school, advice on educational career paths or individual learning difficulties. It
is part of the school’s and higher education institution’s responsibilities. The service varies
between the Länder and the single institutions. Very recently career education, work
preparation and initiatives to ease the transition from school to work have been paid much
more attention due to the high unemployment risk of school drop outs and students with
poor school performance. Apart from this mainstream guidance provision there are special
services for persons with disabilities, for persons with migrant background and in the youth
sector for disadvantaged youth who have dropped out of the educational and employment
sector

1.9 Funding for initial vocational education and training

The school-based element of dual vocational training is financed by Land and local
authority public funds. The Länder bear the costs of internal school affairs (e.g.
supervision of schools, implementing curricula, teacher training, teachers’ pay), and local
authorities are responsible for financing external school affairs (e.g. construction,
maintenance and renovation of school buildings, ongoing management, procurement of
teaching and learning resources). Training in a full-time vocational school outside the dual
system and special measures to promote VET, such as Land programmes to create
additional training places, are financed out of Land budgets. The way in which research
and development is funded means that the highest pro-capita spend of the federal states
is in the tertiary sector. In view of the lack of apprentice training places in enterprises,
central government also finances various programmes designed to create additional

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places and to improve incompany training conditions. An example of this is
‘JOBSTARTER - Für die Zukunft ausbilden’ (training for the future), launched in 2006 by
the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) to promote innovation and
structural development in VET.
Inter-company vocational training centres (überbetriebliche Berufsbildungsstätten - ÜBS),
in which supplementary instruction of trainees takes place on behalf of SMEs, are funded
by mixed financing - subsidies from the Federal Agency for Employment, central
government (capital grants from BMBF resources) and the Länder are added to the
resources of the body responsible.
The financing of coherent training structures (Ausbildungsverbünde) depends on their
organisational form. In the ‘lead enterprise with partner enterprises’ model, the lead
enterprise normally finances remuneration of training, while the partner enterprises bear
the personnel, plant and equipment costs that arise in their area of responsibility. In the
‘training to order’ model, in principle each party to the contract can provide training
services against reimbursement of costs, but in practice SMEs usually finance the training
services contracted out to a large enterprise with a training workshop.
The Federal Employment Agency (BA) is also involved in financing training. In certain
cases it gives young people a grant for vocational training or for pre-vocational training
measures. As a new instrument to support apprenticeship places for young people who
have left school one year or more previously and have since been applying for
apprenticeships without success (“repeat applicants”), the training bonus
(Ausbildungsbonus) was adopted in June 2008. It can be claimed by companies that
conclude apprenticeship contracts with repeat applicants requiring special support.
In addition, the vocational training of disadvantaged young people and the training and
vocational rehabilitation of disabled persons are also subsidised from BA funds.

1.10 References
Hippach-Schneider, Ute., Toth, Bernadette ., and Schober Karen (2009): VET in Europe.
Country Report Germany. Report within the Framework of ReferNet. Cedefop.

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2. VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (VET) FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL
EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

2.1 Population
Legal Definition of SEN
The current definition of special educational needs means specific support for disabled
pupils. The area of ‘special needs education’ in the Federal Republic of Germany, with
respect to all its organisational aspects, refers to special needs exclusively within the
context of disability.
Pupils who experience problems as a result of certain disabilities and/or are in need of
additional educational support because of difficult circumstances, together with students
with temporary learning difficulties (e.g. slow learners, reading and writing difficulties) are
supported by a combination of measures of differentiation within the structure of the
general support system. Remedial or individual education programmes based on the
general structure make support available where a learner experiences difficulties during
the learning process. The Federal Republic of Germany has a comprehensive framework
of special measures aimed at providing additional advice and support for all types of
situations that might arise in daily school life.
Within the context of Germany’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities and the Länder equality legislation, the possibility for pupils with SEN to
integrate into mainstream school is currently being extended.
NB: the legal definition has to be so wide because of the varying situations and laws
across the different Länder.
Source: KMK – Kultusministerkonferenz

2.2 Organisation and Provision of Vet programmes

2.2.1 IVET system options for SEN learners: lower and upper secondary levels,
apprenticeship training and other youth programmes.
According to the joint report of the Federation and Länder Bildung in Deutschland 2010
(Education in Germany 2010), 34 per cent of all new entrants to the vocational education
and training system in 2008 had previously completed pre-vocational courses in a
transitional system. The many different courses on offer within the transitional system
have a common characteristic, in that they do not provide a vocational qualification.
Instead they endeavour to improve the trainability of individuals, as well as sometimes
enabling participants to obtain a general education qualification. The primary transitional
system course providers are Berufsfachschulen, which do not award a vocational
qualification, Berufsschulen, offering courses for pupils with no training contract, the
Berufsvorbereitungsjahr at school (a year of pre-vocational training), the
Berufsgrundbildungsjahr at school (i.e. basic vocational training year), the Federal
Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) and the Federal Government’s special
programme for entry-level qualification at the workplace, which provides funding for work-
experience placements of between six and twelve months as preparation for
apprenticeships.
Attendance at Berufsfachschulen, which do not award full vocational qualifications, can
nevertheless, under certain conditions, be counted towards a period of formal training
required for a recognised occupation and lead to the award of a general education
qualification. The Berufsvorbereitungsjahr at school and the Berufsgrundbildungsjahr at

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school enable young people, as a rule, to obtain a Hauptschulabschluss. The
Berufsgrundbildungsjahr at school can, moreover, also be counted towards the period of
formal training required for a recognised occupation. Young people with social
disadvantages, learning difficulties or disabilities, as well as young people with migrant
backgrounds and an inadequate command of German, all need special assistance in order
to commence and successfully complete a course of training. There are various
possibilities for achieving this. Disadvantaged young people can, for example, attend a
Berufsvorbereitungsjahr at school (a year of pre-vocational training) aimed at preparing
them for the requirements of in-company vocational training. In this context, the Standing
Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) has passed
recommendations on measures that should be in place in vocational schools for young
people requiring particular support in the acquisition of professional qualifications, owing to
learning difficulties.
Alternatively, the disadvantaged young people can be supported by the Federal
Employment Agency within the meaning of the Social Security Code III (Sozialgesetzbuch
III). These programmes are designed to provide preparation for vocational training to
young people who have been unable to secure a training place, to provide parallel training
assistance to young people who are currently undergoing in-company training, or to
provide young people in institutions outside the school sector with vocational training.
German courses are offered to help young people with migrant backgrounds.
Companies can convey training-relevant basic knowledge, as well as initial vocational in-
company experience, to disadvantaged or less competitive young people by means of
individual preparatory training courses, thereby introducing them to in-company vocational
training.
Copyright © 2012 Ständige Konferenz der Kultusminister der Länder in der
Bundesrepublik Deutschland (KMK)
There is no data available disaggregated by disability or recorded at national level.
2.2.2 Different types of educational/VET settings
All the above mentioned options exist in Germany.
Young people with special educational needs can attend mainstream vocational
schools provided that the required special educational assistance, practical support and
physical environment are guaranteed. Sometimes special education teachers provide
support at Förderschulen and at mainstream schools that cater for young people with
special educational needs, e.g. by providing mobile assistance and advice and
cooperative instruction with another teacher in inclusive classes or cooperative classes.

There are special vocational training schools that focus on the following areas of special
needs education:
· education for the blind,
· education for the deaf,
· education for the mentally disabled,
· education for the physically disabled,
· education for children with learning difficulties,
· education for those with speech defects,
· emotional and social development

These schools complement mainstream schools and often work in cooperation with them.

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In addition, there are special educational programmes supported by the Federal
Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) or by private agencies with responsibility
for the measures.
2.2.3 The curricula of VET programmes, the assessment procedures, types of
qualifications and assessment criteria (e.g. flexibility on curricula composition and
individual adaptations, diploma etc.)
The aim of special educational support is to enable young people who are either disabled
or facing the threat of disability to exercise their right to schooling and education that is
tailored to their personal capabilities. They receive support in the form of individual
assistance measures so that they can achieve the highest possible level of integration at
school and work, participate in society and lead as much of an independent life as
possible.
Furthermore, the aim of special educational support at mainstream schools is to promote
the integration of disabled people within mainstream education and provide all pupils,
irrespective of their physical and mental capabilities, with the opportunity to have a
working life.
All special schools work on the basis of curricula that match those of mainstream schools
in terms of educational goals, lesson content and performance requirements. In terms of
inclusivity, priorities and guidelines provide for individual support and teaching geared to
educational standards, whilst incorporating practical and vocational educational content.
In so far as the type of disability or illness allows, Förderschulen award the same
qualifications as obtained from mainstream schools (Hauptschulabschluss, Mittlerer
Schulabschluss,Allgemeine Hochschulreife), provided that instruction was based on the
curricula of the respective school type and the educational course was completed
successfully. The vocational qualification is sometimes reduced in content, duration and in
terms of cognitive demands.

2.3 VET programmes and employment

2.3.1 Strategies and practices used to match the local labour market needs with the skills
acquired by learners in the course of the VET programmes
In almost all Länder there is also supra-regional or Land-wide provision for advanced
vocational guidance, jointly agreed upon and financed by the relevant ministries and the
regional directorates of the Federal Employment Agency.
The advanced vocational guidance at schools providing general education incorporates,
inter alia, information on professional fields, exploration of interests, establishment of
aptitudes and skills, teaching of decision-making strategies, practical professional
experience in companies, and improved reflection on aptitudes, interests and abilities.
Systematic skills profiling procedures (e.g. competence analysis, career choice passport
[Berufswahlpass], skills passport, competence portfolio, Profilpass etc) are used in all
Länder on an occasional basis or across-the-board for the individual support of pupils.
Moreover, since 2008, the Federation has been promoting vocational guidance measures
in inter-company and similar vocational training centres.
Alongside practical testing in vocational training centres, the analysis of potential is also an
important component of assisting learners.
The vocational guidance programme is integrated into the Bildungsketten (educational
links) initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für

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Bildung und Forschung – BMBF), which also incorporates the nationwide use of careers
advisors who accompany pupils in need of particular support.
Learners with SEN get close individualised support from special vocational rehabilitation
counsellors (Reha-Berater) employed by the Federal Employment Agency.

2.4 Data (relating to learners with SEN aged between 14 and 25 years old and
enrolled in VET programmes in the academic year 2010/2011 and relating to their
transition to employment)
2.4.1 Data on the number of learners with SEN aged between 14 and 25 years old who
are enrolled in VET programmes, at national and/or local level.
There is no data available disaggregated by disability or recorded at national level.
2.4.2 Data on how many of these learners are enrolled in mainstream VET programmes,
how many are enrolled in special units within mainstream VET settings and how many are
enrolled in special VET programmes.
There is no data available disaggregated by disability or recorded at national level.
2.4.3 Data on the number and percentage of learners with SEN aged between 14 and 25
who are enrolled in VET programmes, in comparison with the number and percentage of
the general youth population of the same age enrolled in VET programmes, at national
and/or local level
There is no data available disaggregated by disability or recorded at national level.
2.4.4 Brief definition and explanation of “drop out”. Data concerning the drop out rate of
learners with SEN aged between 14 and 25 who are enrolled in VET programmes, in
comparison with the drop out rate of the general youth population, at national and/or local
level.
There is no data available disaggregated by disability or recorded at national level.
2.4.5 Data on the transition rate of learners with SEN from VET to employment in
comparison with the transition rate of the general youth population from VET to
employment at national and/or local level
There is no data available disaggregated by disability or recorded at national level.

2.5 Legislation and policy

2.5.1 Brief description of existing legislation
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was incorporated by the
Federal Government through a National Action Plan.
In addition to this signal of commitment, the main laws regulating the provision of VET for
SEN can be found in the German Social Code Book.
The right of disabled children to education and training appropriate to their needs is
enshrined in the Basic Law (Grundgesetz, Art. 3), in equality legislation, in Book
Twelve of the Social Code (Sozialgesetzbuch XII – Sozialhilfe –) and in the Länder
constitutions. More detailed provisions are set out in the various education legislation of
the Länder.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities entered into
force in Germany in March 2009. The Federation and the Länder have thereby undertaken
to

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 - guarantee the human rights of persons with disabilities;
- prevent discrimination against persons with disabilities; and
· - take appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures
to achieve the objectives of the Convention.
The development and organisation of special education in the Länder was harmonised
through several resolutions adopted by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of
Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder (Kultusministerkonferenz – KMK) and
particularly though Recommendations on the Organisation of Special Schools
(Empfehlung zur Ordnung des Sonderschulwesens, Resolution of March 1972) and
recommendations for the individual types of special education. The current situation is
documented in the Recommendations on Special Needs Education in the Schools of the
Federal Republic of Germany (Empfehlungen zur sonderpädagogischen Förderung in den
Schulen in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Resolution of May 1994). In Spring 2008 the
Standing Conference decided to revise the Recommendations in order to take account of,
inter alia, the objectives of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in
the Länder.
2.5.2 Main objectives and priorities of the national/regional policy relating to VET for
learners with SEN and the transition from VET to employment
Within the context of Germany’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities and the Länder equality legislation, the possibility for pupils with SEN to
integrate into mainstream school is currently being extended. In a resolution of November
2010 on the teaching and legal aspects of the implementation of the UN Convention, the
Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) found that
interaction between general teaching and special teaching is essential to achieving
inclusive education. The rate of implementation and the realisation of necessary effective
support measures depend on developments at Länder level.
2.5.3 Roles and responsibilities within the institutional framework
At national level, the responsibility of the Federal Government is complemented by the
fundamental responsibility of the Länder for education, science and culture. The
Vocational Training Regulations (Ausbildungsordnungen (AO)) and the Vocational
Training Act (Berufsbildungsgesetz (BBiG)) are the legal bases of the Federal
Government’s responsibility, whilst the Länder have competence for vocational training
(curricula) provided in schools.
The implementation of VET programmes for learners with SEN involves a difficult and
complicated cooperation between a number of actors, as well as the individual
differentiation of their roles.
The Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder are responsible for drawing
up the curricula. The Rahmenlehrpläne (framework curricula) for vocational instruction at
Berufsschulen, on the other hand, are developed by the Länder in the Standing
Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (Kultusministerkonferenz)
and decided upon in a coordinated procedure with the agreement of the Federation,
employers' associations and unions, on the basis of the Ausbildungsordnungen (training
regulations) for on-the-job training. They are structured in accordance with areas of
instruction so as to support the acquisition of vocational knowledge, skills and
competences. The areas of instruction contain a complex statement of objectives oriented
around typical vocational tasks, as well as references and timeframes with regard to
content, i.e. references to the duration of the course as well as to the number of lessons.

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The knowledge, skills and competences to be imparted in on-the job training for
professional qualifications are set out in the training regulations. These regulations are
issued for all anerkannte Ausbildungsberufe (recognised occupations requiring formal
training) by the competent federal ministry with the assistance of the social partners, as
well as the Ministries of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder. This coordinated
procedure for issuance ensures that the training regulations take account of what has
been learnt from experiences in the working world and in vocational schools, as well as
the results of employment and occupational research and the results of pilot schemes of
the Federal Institute of Vocational Education and Training (Bundesinstitut für
Berufsbildung – BIBB).
VET programmes for learners with SEN are also subject to these regulations.
2.5.4 The actors involved in improving standards and evaluating the VET programmes on
offer for learners with SEN, relating to the job market
Quality assurance in in-company vocational training is achieved predominantly through
laws, regulations and recommendations of the board of the Federal Institute for Vocational
Training (Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung). The Vocational Training Act
(Berufsbildungsgesetz) places a high value on quality assurance and quality development.
The employment agencies have entrusted external certification bodies with the task of
inspecting bodies providing vocational continuing education, as required by the Federal
Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit).
The Institute for Employment Research (Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Bildungsforschung,
IAB) is responsible for data collection and legal evaluation with regard to the German
Social Code Books II and III. In close cooperation with the Federal Employment Agency
(Bundesagentur für Arbeit) and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
(Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales), the results are incorporated into policies.
The German Youth Institute (Deutsches Jugendinstitut, DJI) is Germany´s largest social
science research institute, dedicated to the study of children, youth and families. The
institute is mainly funded by the Federal Government and the German Länder.
One focus of its research is youth transitions, which includes evaluating programmes for
local transition management and carrying out studies on the processes of inclusion and
exclusion of young disadvantaged people
There are several other research institutes that, based on their research results, provide
expertise and data bases for policy makers and practitioners.

2.6 VET teachers, trainers and other professionals

2.6.1 Information on the VET staff (teachers, trainers, career counsellors, transition
officers, etc.)
The various careers for which teachers are trained correspond to the levels and types of
school in the Länder. In view of the resulting large number of different designations for
teaching careers, the following two types of teaching careers can be distinguished for
VET: Teachers in vocational subjects at upper secondary level or at vocational schools
and teachers in special education.
The study of special education incorporates discipline-specific and cross-discipline
components taking into account aspects of joint education of pupils with and without
Sonderpädagogischer Förderbedarf (special educational needs). The discipline-specific
components include special educational focuses (blind, deaf, mentally disabled, physically

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disabled, learning difficulties, speech defects). The Länder can also approve other subject
areas.
Teachers at all school types are trained in the various aspects of teaching all types of
pupils together. The concept of “inclusive education” is defined in teacher training policies
but nevertheless, not all front-line teachers receive this training.
The rate of implementation and realisation varies according to the Länder. Making
inclusive education a realistic option in vocational training is still a challenge for the future.
2.6.2 Information on the careers/employment guidance and counselling services offered to
learners with SEN who are enrolled in VET programmes
Learners with SEN get close individualised support from special vocational rehabilitation
counsellors (Reha-Berater) employed at the Federal Employment Agency.

2.7 Funding
The duales System (dual system) of vocational training functions from two locations,
namely within companies and at the Berufsschule (vocational school). Vocational training
outside the school sector is mainly financed by companies. The public-sector contribution
largely consists of Federation and Länder programmes promoting additional in-company
and external training places, vocational training assistance from the Federal Employment
Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) and the promotion of vocational training for
disadvantaged young people under Social Security Codes II and III (Sozialgesetzbuch II
und III).
There is no special financial support and/or incentives for learners with SEN, nor for
companies outside of the legal regulations of Social Security Code II and III
(Sozialgesetzbuch II und III).

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